The Grand Adventure
by TheKyttin13
Summary: AU, Pokemon-theme. Anna is an orphan without any past and only hope for the future. Her story begins her Great Adventure...and it starts by wishing on a star the eve of her eighteenth birthday. Rating Tentative, possible unrelated Elsanna later.
1. Wish

**_A/N: New story idea. I'm also muddling through a one-shot that's about 15'000 words long at present._**

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_The Grand Adventure, Chapter 1_

Wish

Great things are said to come to those who wish upon a star.

Anna Eugenia wasn't one to believe much in the way of the stars, however. Fairy-tales only held out for so many years until the harsh truth of reality settled into young, impressionable minds one by one. Granted, having a wild imagination and a rambunctious personality made giving up the tales all the more difficult for the young red-head, but even the most wonderful of dreams must come to an end eventually.

Having never known her true parents, Anna had grown up in the quiet, rustic city of Arendelle, often scavenging from the trash and gutters to find what sustenance the gentle patrons afforded to be discarded; the Home for the Abandoned never seemed to have enough sustenance to go around, and it was all the owners could do to keep the lights on. Anna never knew any better and thus couldn't blame her assumed guardians for what most would label as their failures.

And as bright eyes and young minds are wont to do, they believe. They believe in the spirit of the world, in humanity's goodness and the kind hearts of those more and less fortunate. And with this incredible power of belief, Anna earned herself a very prestigious reputation with those so unfortunate as to be condemned to the Abandonment Home without salvation.

The Tooth Fairy had been a sham at age eight. Easter's Bunny at age ten. The Sandman and the Leprechaun both went at age twelve. Santa Claus made it to age thirteen. But of all the tales she'd grown up with, she refused to lose hope in the one she'd loved most as a young girl, the tale of the Fall.

The Fall was a widespread event of wonder that had captured the hearts of even the most stoic, disbelieving residents of Arendelle. Legend had it that the Fall was an event that could be witnessed anywhere on earth, but to be blessed with seeing the Fall meant that the week to follow would be a wonderful time indeed. Anna hoped to see the next Fall and prayed to a deity she lacked faith in to grant her just one wish, just one chance to see the fabled event of old.

The story of the Fall is as follows: Once, there was a boy with hair of gold and eyes of green who believed that stars were magical. At the tender age of three, his sister was born, hair as fair and eyes like the ocean. He loved her dearly, and she just as much of him, and he vowed to protect her no matter the consequence. And so they grew, until he was just age eight and she five, and then a terrible thing did happen. The little boy and the little girl, both fair children with equal parts happiness and wonder, stole away in the midst of the blackest of nights they'd ever seen. So curious to see the wonder of the darkness were they that they knew not of the evil that lurked behind, and when the boy was silently taken from the girl she took no notice, gazing at the darkened sky with curiosity and awe. And when she finally looked over to see where her dear brother was, she found nothing but a burn on the cobble directed toward the forest. She chased the burn, deeper and deeper into the wood, until she found her brother lying atop a tree stump, a knife deep in his breast, his blood on the hands of a wicked witch. The girl began to cry. "Hush child, or you'll be next," the witch said. "Why did you kill him?" the girl asked. "Blood of children keeps me young," the witch said. She laughed as the girl wept, and a single pinprick of light came from above to shine on the boy's face. The girl looked up and saw a single star through her tears. "Please," she cried, "please, I wish my brother was still here with me, please oh please." And then…the star shone brightly, and twinkled as it began to spin like a top. The girl stopped crying as she watched, and the star raced down to earth, down and down it fell until it crashed against the clearing with a light so bright the sun came out, and the witch screamed as she melted in the sunlight, and the boy woke up from his sleep, and the knife was no longer in his chest, and he was no longer bleeding, and the girl was no longer crying, and they hugged and rejoiced and danced gaily as they hurried home to their parents, so happy to have one another once again.

Anna knew that the story was nothing but an old wives' tale designed with the intention of keeping pretentious children indoors at night so that the wild coyotes would not make meals of them, knew that things like witches and life bestowed by stars were folly in the purest sense. She wasn't so blinded by her imagination and her hope that she confused the fable with fact. But she had seen the clearing, the glimmering trees coated in an iridescent layer of stardust that refused to scrape off no matter how hard she tried. She'd seen the very tree stump in the middle, saw what she believed was a dried stain. She'd even let herself believe that the jagged mark in the center of the stain was where a knife could have been poised. And while she had no proof of what had actually happened in that clearing, the signs she bore witness to seemed to be powerful enough to convince her of the legend's origin.

Every year, the eve of her arrival day (given that the day of her birth was a mystery to her), she'd lean out the upstairs window she'd been granted at the ramshackle building and clasp her hands together, like a good schoolgirl would, and she would plead with the stars above to accept her wish, her wish to find out who her family was and where she had come from, to find out why she existed and what she was supposed to do.

To find out who she really was.

Sadly, every year, she'd come away disappointed, never knowing more about anything than she had the day prior, although the fresh loaf of bread she'd been given every year made things a bit better (mostly because she was offered fresh food instead of stale bread or garbage, even if just for one day). And so it was that on the eve of her eighteenth arrival day, she leaned out the window once more, resting her bosom against the wooden sill, and clasped her fingers together once again.

"Starlight, starbright…sparkling star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, I…I wish to have one wish tonight. I wish…"

She paused, her eyes casting down to the cobble of the alleyway below, the rubbish can she'd scoured for food still open to the night. She wasn't any bit convinced that the wish would get her anywhere, and she found herself choking on the lump in her throat.

"I wish…that this year will be different."

She struggled, fighting to speak with a conviction she hadn't believed she possessed.

"I wish that I might know who I am and where I came from…why I was left on the doorstep alone as a baby…and what I'm supposed to do with my life. I know I have to work hard and try to learn something…and it's hard, y'know, feeling so…so _dumb_ and small, but…but I just…I need this. I need to know…I need to. Please. I…I wish to know."

She withdrew her shaking arms, grasping for the shutters. She felt stupid and numb, cold invading her body even as the feeble wooden doorlets closed against the outside. Living so far north on the coast of a turbulent ocean meant reasonably mild temperature changes with a subdued chill in the air at all times, and even as spring was fast approaching summer the winter's decline in temperament hadn't quite given up hope of freezing the lonely and the meek.

With reckless abandon, Anna donned a tattered jacket and fled the Home, needing comfort and solace the wooden edifice surely could not offer. She fled to the wood, darting between trees along the same invisible path she'd traversed a thousand times before, never once tripping over a rock or brushing a rogue leaf despite her normally clumsy gait. She rounded a particularly thick pine and let a half-smile coat her cheek.

She stepped into the glittering clearing, eyes eagerly drinking in the details she'd memorized at such a young age, determined to commit the dreamscape to memory (as young girls were wont to do). She sat with her back against the pine and gazed up at the twinkling sky above. The moon was dark, with the ambiance from the town hidden behind the trees, leaving the clearing to bask in a brightly lit kaleidoscope of celestial wonder. Anna drank it all in, the chill slowly receding to leave her comforted and cozy. She sighed. Life was simple as long as she chose to make it so.

She heard a rustling off to her left and let her eyes flick toward the sound. From between the trees, a hunched figure lurched into the clearing, heedless of the spectator leaning against the pine. The staggering cloak tripped over a loose root as it approached the dais, leaning heavily against the rough bark as it panted. Anna watched with baited breath as the figure opened the enshrouding cloak to reveal a grotesque woman with wrinkled skin and bony fingers, hair whiter than snow and exceedingly thin. She reached with creaking limbs and dropped a bundle onto the dais, and Anna realized with a start that it was a child.

The woman stepped away, muttering under her breath, and Anna caught sight of golden hair. His breathing was shallow, and he lay utterly motionless atop the tree stump. Her breath hitched in her throat as she watched the woman wave her arms in the air, creating a flurry of purple and green sparkles that swirled to form a flask. She bit her finger, drawing blood to drip into the flask, before turning to the boy.

"Blood of the host, to seal the spell."

A knife blade, black as pitch and sharp enough to cut the very air it touched, protruded from the woman's hand. A maniacal gleam took to her eye as she brought the blade up, and with a tremendous swing it crashed through the boy's chest, splitting and rupturing the heart within as blood sprayed outward. Anna gasped, clasping a hand to her mouth in hope that the hag hadn't heard her.

She needn't have worried, for the witch was busy dripping rivulets of crimson from the blade. She then pushed the knife back through the boy's chest, leaving it to stand as a deadly totem, testament to the horror committed in the clearing.

"Life of the child, condemned to hell."

The flask glinted in the starlight, half-full of dark liquid and shimmering like the trees. She swirled her fingers over the flask, the contents swirling and lightening to a milky grey color.

"A dose of magic, to mix with thee;"

The flask was raised high into the air as the crotchety voice ground out one more line, eyes blazing under the light of the stars.

"Starlight from above, grant my eternity!"

"No!"

Both Anna and the witch whipped to face the source of the noise, a young girl with light hair and eyes wet with tears.

"That's my brother!"

The woman cackled, a sound that raised hairs on the back of Anna's neck. "And if you don't pipe down, you'll join him on that stump, my dear."

The child ran forward, scrambling up the stump to stare at her brother's pale face as she wept. The witch up-ended the flask and tossed the morbid contents down her ancient throat, gurgling as the serum meandered down to her stomach.

"You killed him! Why, why is he dead? Why did you do that?"

"I needed the blood of an innocent child to stay alive, my dear. And if you want to live forever, you'll be needing the blood of innocent children as well. I can teach you how to live for eternity, eons and eons of time if you wish."

The wrinkles had begun to recede, the aged flesh regained volume. Hair gradually streaked from white to a lush black. The crooked teeth of her smile had begun to straighten, lightening from the decaying brown to a more pearly white. Anna watched in terrified fascination as the witch became a young woman, strikingly beautiful and with a softness in her eyes the witch hadn't possessed. Were they truly the same person?

"I can show you the way," the woman cooed, kneeling beside the girl to run a hand through her wavy blonde hair. The child whimpered before her eyes slid closed.

"_Starlight, starbright, first star I see tonight_

_I wish I may, I wish I might just have one wish, this wish, tonight:_

_I wish for the spell to come undone_

_Bring my brother back, Old Ones."_

The child craned her neck back to stare straight up into the sky at the twinkling stars. The woman began to giggle.

"Oh, my dear…the stars don't listen to prayers. They…"

Her eyes widened in sync with Anna's, for a golden corona encircled the young girl's crown. A high-pitched whistle was heard far off, and Anna let her eyes drift to the heavens above to see a comet, streaking across the sky, twinkling and glowing as it fell. She looked back toward the girl only to jump to her feet in fear as her dream came to an abrupt halt: nobody was in the clearing with her, and yet as her eyes glanced skyward, the comet continued to shine, swelling in size and with a significant volume increase as it fell.

And Anna screamed. The comet was plummeting straight toward the earth, aimed directly for the clearing.

She spun on her heel and narrowly dodged an eye gouging courtesy of one needle-laden branch as she hastened to flee, sprinting through the forest along an unfamiliar path. She had barely gone twenty steps when a thunderous explosion blasted her forward, skinning her knees against an exposed tree root as a torrent of dirt and needles grenaded outward from the center of the clearing, cluttering her already messy hair with more detritus. She groaned as her face met loam, the flash of light slowly dimming.

After a moment of collecting her dizzy thoughts, she hoisted herself up onto her elbows and chanced a gaze over her shoulder. A glowing, star-shaped object hovered several inches above the dais, and Anna scrambled to stand, her curiosity overwhelming her stifling fear. She crept toward the light, eyes glued to the star.

She stepped into the clearing, wary of a possible attack and very aware of the fact that she'd just witnessed the legend of old take place before her very eyes. She somehow managed to contain her desire to whoop and holler, settling instead to walk forward on shaking legs. She stopped when her knees hit the edge of the stump. The star glittered with a surreal light, glowing and sparkling even in the midst of near-total darkness.

The desire to reach forward and touch the glittering marvel suddenly took over Anna's mind, and with one shaking finger she reached out, tapping it to the cold, metallic surface of the fallen star.

And everything around her vanished in an explosion of white and blue light.

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**_Chase this story on tumblr; it's posted under "fricfics dot tumblr dot com". I love you all, my gentle snowflakes, and I'll be back soon! ~Kyttin_**


	2. Journey

**_A/N: This took waaaaaay too long to write. But there's a lot going on.  
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**_Sorry that Anna's the only Disney character mentioned thusfar. There will be appearances from many of the Disney and Disney/Pixar films in the chapters to follow if I can focus long enough to get the damn thing on paper. _**

**_Sorry if this is boring. I have a shitload of setup to do before the fun begins._**

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_The Grand Adventure, Chapter 2_

Journey

A dull aching at the base of her skull woke her from the black slumber she'd found, the solace comforting and disconcerting as it roused her with incessant nudges toward consciousness. She groaned and cracked her eyes open, blinking against the harsh sunlight that filtered through the trees above.

And did a double-take upon realizing the sunlight was of a white-and-purple blend, blinding and ethereal in nature. She shielded her eyes with one raised arm, observing the clearing with hazy eyes and a brain ticking in reverse. The throbbing knot on the back of her skull did little to better her mood, and the light only served to agitate it further.

However, the sight of something small and glittery floating over the stump drew her attention once more. She stepped closer, not minding her steps, and cracked a twig beneath her worn shoe. The light faded and the thing spun, focusing sea-green eyes on her freckled face. She would have screamed if she weren't so terribly frightened that it was animate.

Three sparkling gold points jutted from the top and sides of its bluish-white head, the skin pale to the point of radiating light in the dawn that rose on the horizon, gleaming and beautifully smooth in complexion. Twin gold baubles framed the delicate face, glowing faintly despite the sunlight. The oblate eyes that blinked inquisitively at her shimmered with wonder and mirth, a small smile fixed below that offered comfort and pleasure at greeting her. Anna gulped. The thing was smiling. Strange things that smiled were never good…right?

A small body, home to four soft but stubby appendages, sat below the large head, skin sharing colors with that of its face. Two golden streamers protruded from the creature's backside, undulating in a nonexistent breeze. The entire being floated effortlessly in the air, held aloft by an unknown power that shook Anna to her core. She had never felt so terrified and blessed in her life than she did at that very moment. And so she did what anyone faced with the sight of an unexplainable creature would do.

She fell to her knees and bowed, swearing oaths and fealties at the being, praying that it would only bring her happiness and warmth rather than the pain and suffering she feared. She prayed to whatever deity had bestowed the creature upon the earth before her very eyes, feeling instinctively that the thing was somehow meant for her, that she was meant to offer that final prayer and relive the horrors of the sparkling clearing, that the creature before her was every bit the savior the little girl from old had asked for, fable or not.

"Jir?"

And she flinched at its soft, gentle cry. It sounded like the sweet coo of an infant, though the undercurrent of power the being exuded twisted what Anna had hoped would be an innocent gesture into a commanding force. She lifted her head.

The creature had its head cocked sideways, eyes and mouth contorted into a gesture of quiet confusion. Anna cleared her throat.

"Uh…h-hello there…heh heh…"

_Hello!_

She yelped, flying backwards at the voiceless word that had passed over her subconscious.

_Oh! Sorry! Am I too loud?_

Anna shook her head, eyes popping from her skull in sheer terror. The creature had gone back to smiling. It blinked, waving at her.

_Can you even hear me?_

Anna nodded slowly, a bead of sweat trickling down the side of her head. The thing giggled, a tinkling sound with cutesy mirth.

'_Are you afraid of me?'_

"A…a little…" _More like a LOT._

'_Why?'_

"B-because you're a…a talking _thing _that fell from the sky!"

The creature looked up in wonder. _'It's been a while since I was last here…So much changes in one thousand years.'_

"One _thousand _years?!"

'_I sleep a lot,' _the creature admitted with a sheepish blush. Anna blinked, startled at how human it seemed to be.

"Are…what _are _you, exactly?"

'_Oh! Right! Introductions! I-'_

It paused, looking about frantically, eyes flicking toward the sky. Anna gazed upward to see a large, metallic object with rotors falling slowly from the sky, a loud thumping sound accompanying its descent. The steel bird slowed its fall and hovered high enough above the trees to ruffle the branches and leaves. The creature squeaked and hid behind Anna, though to say the young girl offered any form of protection from above would be a farce.

A human tossed a rope ladder down, the end colliding with the grass in the clearing and piling into a tangle of twine and knots. From above, a human slid down, followed by what looked to be two large rocks

The human was a woman, tall and pale with hair as purple as a plum. The two rocks that followed were shaped like the sun and the moon, glowing red eyes leering at Anna as the woman stepped closer, extending a hand.

And what fell from the woman's mouth was the most unintelligible garbage Anna had ever heard.

"W-what?"

Purple paused, dropping her hand. She seemed to be startled. Then, something that she did recognize:

"_Norsk, ja?"_

_Yes, I am Norwegian! _"Yes!"

Purple sighed. She nodded to the sun and it began to rotate slowly, floating in the air and spinning as a captain might steer a ship.

"Now can you understand me?"

"Oh! Y-yes, yes!"

"Then, in that case, come aboard to begin the greatest adventure of your life."

Anna blinked. "Adventure?"

"You've come into contact with a Pokémon, haven't you?"

"A what?"

"Pokémon. That little thing behind you."

Anna twisted her body to see the whimpering, shivering creature cowering behind her.

"This is a Pokémon?"

"One of several hundred different species of them, yes. That, specifically, is a _Jirachi_, the Wish Pokémon. It is exceedingly rare and more powerful than most trainers could hope their entire party to become. How you came into contact with a legendary is beyond me, but the fact remains that you've been chosen."

"Jirachi? Trainers? Party? Legendary? _What?_"

Purple sighed. "I'll explain more in the helicopter. Please, we're short on time. We must go, now."

Anna blinked. "Why can't you explain now?"

"Because the more time we waste down here, the more likely we are to be found. Now come _on!_"

Anna was yanked harshly to her feet, shrieking in protest as the ground dropped away below her. Her captor had a firm grip on the ladder that retracted with haste back toward the bird above them, its rotors turning and slicing at the air to keep it aloft.

And it was with a small bit of hope that Jirachi followed, crying out in protest at being left behind. Anna scooped the creature into her arms and let Purple make the ascent.

They were hauled aboard by strong, trained arms which strapped them into seats before slamming the massive door, silencing the rotors to a dull thumping. With a lurch, the craft rose and took flight away toward an unknown destination. The movement caused Anna to cringe.

Purple tapped at buttons on two red-and-white balls the size of oranges. Glowing red auras in the shape of a sun and a moon flew into the respective balls before being clipped to holsters on a matte black belt.

Purple fumbled in her pants pocket, her black-and-green bangles sliding toward her elbow as she groped. She produced a device which she handed to Anna, motioning to put it in her ear. Anna slipped it in cautiously, tapping it in wonder.

"Can you hear me?"

She jumped. Purple smirked.

"I suppose you can. My name is Sabrina. I am what you call a 'Pokémon trainer,' which means I live in harmony with Pokémon and train them to become stronger."

"What's a trainer?"

"Trainers are people who are chosen to work together with Pokémon. At least…that's how it works nowadays. Back when I started my adventure, I was eleven, and things were different. The last twenty years…even just the last five years…things have been terribly different."

Anna had no idea what Sabrina was talking about. Clearly, the other woman understood the confusion, and chuckled darkly.

"I wish you would have come to us sooner, dear Jirachi. The world is hurting for more graces to help fight the uprising."

The creature whimpered. _'I've been away for a thousand years…what's happened?'_

"Well, I can't say for most of that thousand…but maybe I can shed some light on what's going on right now. It's been…oh, probably about five years since a new trainer came into the midst of all this madness.

"Before everything changed, I was known as a Gym Leader in a city called Saffron, like the color. I trained Psychic-type Pokémon, and it was my job to be sure young trainers hoping to best the Elite Four were ready to move forward with their adventures. Some made it through. Most didn't. I remember one annoying kid who didn't know how to quit…he always had that stupid Pikachu with him, and never seemed to care for the rules…or types, for that matter.

"Five years ago, everything changed. Gangs had always existed, trying to exploit Pokémon for financial, sexual, liberal, or personal gain, and with groups as laughable as Team Rocket, Team Galactic, and Team Plasma, well…it was easy enough to shrug off the idea that the Elite League would have gained any sort of fame or purchase in our minds and hearts. Unfortunately, trainers and leaders alike underestimated them, and we were catastrophically overwhelmed when they finally gained fruition in their plans.

"The League trained quietly in the background, never assuming that they would be anything powerful or special, but growing steadily stronger all the while. With Pokémon being as powerful and misunderstood as they are, it's not inconceivable that their benevolent natures were contaminated by the hands of such sadistic, lecherous fiends."

Sabrina dragged a hand through her hair, bangles glowing as she spoke.

"Lance and his league, known as the Elite Four of the Johto and Kanto regions, fell first and hardest. The Indigo Plateau, their stage, was struck by the League first, crushed relentlessly by an iron fist the likes of which had never been seen before. Johto fell next. The entire region is an ashen wasteland now. I got out before Kanto fell, but now…my home, my Gym…both are gone, dust in the wind.

"We could have stood up to them, I'm just certain of it, but…as Gym Leaders and members of the Elite Four, we are restrained in how far we may raise our teams. As a Trainer, I face no restrictions and can maximize the potential of my Pokémon, but as a Gym Leader…well, let's just say none of us had a backup plan. My best friends, Erica and Janine, were murdered ruthlessly. As I said, I got away…but their deaths will haunt me forever."

She paused, gazing at a spot over Anna's shoulder that failed to exist.

"After Johto and Kanto fell, they moved forward to Hoenn, and of course Champion Wallace couldn't fight off the encroaching threat. He even sought help in teaming up with his mentor, Steven Stone, but…Steve and Wally weren't strong enough, even with their combined power. Nobody had ever considered raising a back-up team in the event of an uprising. A threat was never existent, never even acknowledged.

"Then the threat exterminated all of the Hoenn region before expanding its toxicity north to Sinnoh. That…that was a show to see."

Anna waited patiently while Sabrina dabbed at her eyes. Something within her twisting gut told her that it took a great deal of heartbreak to force Sabrina to cry, and whatever had happened in the Sinnoh region clearly took its toll on the defeated trainer.

"Sinnoh stood the best chance of holding off the oncoming forces. Obviously, the Elite Four faced the same fate as the three prior, but Cynthia…She fought magnificently. Unlike the rest of us, who were limited to a type and how strong we could get, Cynthia was unlimited. She is the first to ever be granted a no-holds-barred pass into training, and when wind of the threat finally trickled through to her after her first three subordinates were vanquished, she sprang into action. Lucian, her fourth and final Elite Four member, gave his all in fighting against the League per her request, but it inevitably fell to her.

"Seven against one. _Seven against one._ The fight went to hell in a flaming handbasket, and that blonde powerhouse unleashed a new horror upon them. She was the one I sought out upon hearing of the threat. I got to her when they did. I couldn't warn her in time. But I got the honor of being the only one to see her fight. And with seven opponents all at the same moment, that was a fight worth watching.

"The one thing that I respect most about Cynthia is her ability to change strategies at the drop of a hat. She is never flustered, never scared, never even considers defeat as an option even when she's down and almost out. She knew they were playing with her, toying around just to get a laugh, and still she fought long and hard. And when she called upon her fatal finale, the elusive Draco Meteor attack, it was very clear who the strongest of the fighters was and where she stood in relation to them; their silly games had left them trashed and scattered. But…even a field-wide meteor storm can't defeat seven opponents at once. It was amazing, seeing six of them fall together as she decimated their teams…but when that seventh stepped forward, Dragon-type for Dragon-type, there was no contest. Cynthia was down to the end of her rope at that point, and it was all she could do to face a dignified defeat. She was so strong, and she almost eliminated them all."

Sabrina clasped her hands over her eyes, cheeks pink with what Anna assumed was embarrassment at crying in front of a stranger.

"It was so beautiful to see. She fell with such grace. She was so amazing. Still is."

"Still is?"

"She's alive. Broken, but alive. She can't seem to recover from her defeat. She…blames herself for the League taking over. She belittles herself on a regular basis, always with the same words 'if I had been stronger, if I had been a better Trainer'…it breaks my heart to hear my role model saying she wasn't good enough when she fought harder and longer than any of the rest of the defenders. Even Iris and Drayden from Unova fell, Alder fell, and Diantha from Kalos fell, each quicker than the previous. The League had learned not to underestimate their opponent, not to play any more games, and it's for that reason Cynthia holds such a grudge with herself. She believes she was the chance to thwart the League, and that she blew it."

Sabrina fell into a tense silence. Anna watched her knuckles flex as she clenched and unclenched her fists, breathing deep and forcibly controlled.

"But…what does this have to do with me?"

Steel-grey eyes flickered open to scan Anna's face with an unreadable expression, occasionally looping down to take in the star-shaped creature in her arms. She sighed.

"We're hurting. The resistance movement has all but failed; nobody has the spirit to fight any longer. They're too powerful, too engrossed with their abuse of the Pokémon we trainers try so hard to befriend and understand. No new trainers have been inducted into the world of Pokémon since the League came about and took over, and the mass extermination that followed left nothing for the world."

"Then…why don't we know about it?"

"Only select few were privy to such knowledge. Such an extermination, a complete overthrow of all Pokémon hierarchy within the natural world, was carried out discretely and without mercy. Nobody could be allowed in, and those already involved were forbidden from getting out."

"And you haven't told any of the world agencies?"

"So long as the money keeps coming in and they find no immediate threat by the movement, they turn a blind eye. Besides, there weren't many Pokémon on earth to start with, and those that did exist were easily ruined."

"Then where are they?"

"They all exist on a planet outside the solar system. The fastest method of transit between our planet and theirs, the only other nearby planet capable of sustaining life, is through light-speed teleportation from the terran base."

"The what?"

"Terran base. Earth's transit terminal. Thanks to extreme advancements in lightwave and particle technology, Japan developed a facility that's completely underground. Nobody knows about its existence. That facility, the Gaia Station, will get us out to the planet of Pokémon, the Insei Station. Once we're there, you'll be briefed. You…might very well be our last hope."

"What? I'm only eighteen; I have no idea what a Pokémon even does or how they work!"

"You'll learn. And quickly. The fact that you've come into contact with a Jirachi, one of the seven Benevolents, is a miracle in itself. Do you…were you given Wish Tags?"

Anna frowned.

"I'll take that as a no. Jirachi is known as the Wish Pokémon, and for good reason. Normally, there are three blue tags that hang from its three horns, but…I don't see them anywhere."

Anna cast a cursory gaze over the creature. It blinked at her, smiling in happy earnest.

"Wish…tags?"

'_Wish Tags? Oh! Right!'_

It closed its eyes. Light coalesced in its small, shrouded arms, and with a brilliant flash and a release of colors more brilliant than any rainbow, three teal tags, rectangular in shape and velvety in material, hovered in the air before Anna's face. She blinked.

"There they are. You, as the lucky trainer this Jirachi came into contact with, are its Wish Keeper. According to legend, I believe you have the sole ability to scribe on the tags and hang them on Jirachi's horns."

She grasped at the tags and marveled at their apparent lack of weight.

"I don't know anything about how they work, to be honest. All I know is that you're chosen to be a Trainer, and that you have less than one week with this Jirachi before it sleeps for another millennium."

"Wait, a week?!"

"Jirachi sleeps for one thousand years before awakening for just seven days. It's one of the Pokémon being studied at the Gaia Station's Research Facility, but as it has never been encountered in the wild, trying to collect data about it is anything but easy. And as a Psychic-type, it of course holds interest with me on a personal level."

"You keep using this 'type' to describe things. What exactly is a 'type'?"

"A Pokémon may possess a type, just as the powers it possesses have a type. There are eighteen known types of Pokémon and their powers, sometimes called 'moves.' Let's say you have a Fire-type Pokémon. What would it be weak against? Or, rather, what does fire not like?"

"Um…water?"

"Which means a Water-type move would be severely damaging. So would Rock-type and Ground-type; Fire doesn't like being smothered."

"Oh. That makes sense."

"Similarly, Ice-types, Grass-types, and Steel types would be at a disadvantage against Fire-types. It takes some trial-and-error to get used to, but once you get the hang of type advantages, you'll be one step closer to being a Master."

"What does it take to be a Master?"

"It used to be that Masters were only those who had caught one of every single type of Pokémon in existence. However, given that the Legendary Pokémon are usually only one per million trainers, it instead changed to only having to see one of every Pokémon, which means so long as your opponent already has it you're one closer. By having a Jirachi, people will likely be begging to line up in front of you and complete their Pokédexes. The Dex grows every year or two, according to what the Professors find."

"But…how many exist?"

"There are presently seven-hundred-twenty-one different breeds of Pokémon in existence. Jirachi is number three-eight-five globally. When Hoenn was its own region, it was number two-zero-one locally."

"That's a lot of Pokémon."

"And there are more waiting to be found and recorded. The Professors are the only true Masters, as they've dedicated their lives to finding and documenting every type of Pokémon in existence."

"Is that all it takes? Just to see one of every kind?"

"Oh, no, that's just the hardest requirement. One step down is to raise at least one Pokémon to its maximum potential, the strongest it can possibly be. The next step down from that _used_ to be defeating the regional Elite Four and Champion, but…that practice has obviously gone out of style."

The metal monster began descending. Sabrina craned her neck to see through the windshield; the massive viewscreen was to Anna's rear and thus not visible to her curious eyes.

"Let's not scare the new recruit, alright Winona?"

"Yeah, yeah, siddown and shaddup, Bri. I've got this."

"Wait, new recruit? I don't know a single thing about these Pokémon creatures! Suddenly having one makes me a new recruit?"

"Protocol. The League doesn't know that you've been chosen. They'll be on your trail soon if they aren't already. We got to you first because we keep a marginally tighter watch on the planet. That meteor was traced. I guarantee you'd have been caught had we stayed there another ten minutes."

"Then what is this?"

"Salvation. Hang on to the chair; we're touching down."

Her knuckles flared white as she squeezed the upholstery in clenched hands, teeth gritted. The Jirachi raised its head to smile at her.

'_You won't die. I've fallen from higher and I haven't died.'_

"Easy for you to say; you're not exactly made of flesh and bone."

'_I'm made of stardust and meteorite.'_

"Which means you make a crater when you hit the ground, not a splat."

'_A splat?'_

Anna was saved from replying as the craft touched the concrete floor of a massive helipad, motor whining as its revolution speed decreased. The pilot spun, plucking the keys, her lavender hair flipping over her shoulder.

"There. Anyone dead, Bri?"

"No, Winona. And if you don't mind, I'd thank you to stop calling me that."

Winona scoffed. The helipad began sinking below the ground. "You'll always be Bri to me." She turned to Anna. "Don't let her scare you. She's not that hard to beat at the Tourney."

"Tourney? Wait, I have to _fight _you?!"

"You'll eventually have to fight all of us who are still alive. You're the only outsider in one thousand years to come into contact with a Jirachi, which means you've become the Trainer to one of the seven Benevolents. To have that honor…it's a waste not to accept it."

Anna found both sets of eyes on her. "You _do _accept…right?"

She flitted back and forth between both women, feeling very uncomfortable under their scrutiny. "W-well…I've never known my family…never known anyone or anything, really…I'm not very smart, and I'm kinda clumsy, and…I don't even have a home. Every day in Arendelle was its own adventure for me, even if the only thing I did all day was try to find something to eat. I just…I wished on a star to learn who I am and where I'm going, and…and I think this Jirachi is the answer. I-it might sound crazy that I'd believe in the stars, b-but maybe…maybe this is their message. To go out and…and _mean _something. Maybe make some friends, maybe learn something new. I-I mean, I don't think I can take down the League at all…they sound really scary and evil, and even if I have one of those Benevolents I don't think it's enough. But…but I want to know. I need to know, a-and if you're willing to teach then I'm willing to learn.

"I'm in."

The helipad stopped sinking with a grinding crunch. Sabrina unbuckled her harness, helping Anna unclasp hers before grasping the handle of the door. "Then follow me. We've got a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it in."

She yanked the door wide and Anna gasped at the eyeful that lay beyond.

* * *

_**Follow this story on the Frictional Fiction Blog at ficfrics dot tumblr dot com. I love you all, my gentle snowflakes, and I'll be back soon. ~Kyttin  
**_


	3. Learning

**_A/N: I belted this chapter out as fast as I could. That said, there's a lot of information in this one. Sorry if it's too much for some of you to handle; the next chapter will be more fun._**

* * *

_The Grand Adventure, Chapter 3_

Learning

"Welcome to the Gaia Station."

The large room, white and at least three stories tall, was home to scientists and workers darting to and fro about the polished tiles. Four large pits, recessed a further story into the floor, were ringed by railings that were crowded to bursting with more intelligence agents, where flurries of fire, ice, rocks, electricity, and various other elemental forces were foaming and frothing, exploding outward from the pits with an intensity Anna hadn't known existed in the world. She cringed as one particularly devastating blast shook the floor, nearly sending her tripping over her tattered dress.

"This is the training ground," Sabrina called over her shoulder, striding across the room on sure feet despite the shaking and pitching. "This is where the terran Trainers work to devise battle strategies against their opponents. Nothing too spectacular happens here, but the scientists like having something to try and quantify, so we let them have their entertainment."

"Why aren't they helping fight the League? They seem so strong!"

"They're good by normal standards, but in measuring up against the League they're easily removed."

"The League is that strong?"

"They've somehow figured out how to raise a Pokémon to beyond its intended maximum potential. Sometimes we refer to raising as 'leveling,' but until you get your gear and get outfitted you won't know much about that. Anyways, they've figured out how to level their Pokémon past the cap, which is exactly at one hundred levels for all species, wild or domesticated."

"Where did they learn?"

"Somewhere, someone must have found a way to defy the natural order of their Pokémon, likely the leader of the League. It's not easy trying to change genetic code to suit one's benefits, but somehow a level two-hundred-fifty-five Pokémon defies conventional standards. And rumor has it that the standards can be further crushed into oblivion with ridiculously overtrained stats."

"Stats?"

"Any species of Pokémon has its specialties and drawbacks, just as they have type advantages and disadvantages. Pokémon such as the Benevolents are used as a benchmark, meaning their stats all form a baseline of one-hundred points each. Types tend to also have stat generalizations: Fighting-types are usually physical attackers, while Psychic-types are usually special attackers, just as Steel-types are usually physically defensive and Water-types are special defensive."

"Special?"

"Usually, attack and defense are broken into two categories: physical and special. Physical attack and defense, usually just referred to as Attack and Defense, implies that the user is up close and personal with the opponent. Special attack and defense, commonly shortened to Spec-attack and Spec-defense, imply that the user is using a ranged attack on an opponent. Knowing what a Pokémon specializes in, and what types specialize in which areas, will help determine the best possible strategy to earn victories."

"But I don't know any of this stuff! How am I supposed to learn?"

"We're going to jumpstart you before sending you off to the Insei Station. You'll know enough to get going, and you'll have some idea of what works and what doesn't."

They had reached the far end of the room, where Sabrina clacked a bracelet against a blue orb half-encapsulated by the wall. A door to the left of the orb slid upward, revealing an elevator beyond. Sabrina and Winona stepped in, leaving Anna to trail behind, Jirachi still tucked in her arms.

"We're taking you to see the Professors. Though they all know of Jirachi's existence, they'll want to get a clear shot of the Pokémon for Pokédex reference before they get you set up. I hear Juniper and Sycamore are quite the outfitters these days."

The elevator dinged closed, sliding downward without vibration or noise. Sabrina smirked.

"Courtesy of the all-powerful Psychic-type. There isn't a shaft for this elevator; it's just a huge hole with nothing but empty space all around. Smoothest ride you'll ever take."

Winona snorted. "Clearly she needs to experience the art of flying. There is no greater thrill than being held aloft in the sky."

"Obviously, you don't prefer the seamlessness of levitation by any mark."

"Not in the least. If something's gonna fly, I think it should have the wings or tail to do so."

At that, Jirachi floated out of Anna's arms and spun in a circle, the overhead light dancing on its pointed crown.

'_I don't have wings, but I can fly if I choose.'_

Sabrina shot a smug look at Winona. "Care to revise your statement?"

"That little star couldn't lift me off the floor. It's one thing to lift a couple pounds, it's another to lift a person."

Anna watched a shimmering purple aura surround Jirachi's body, and without a sound the elevator halted in its movement, pitching all three occupants into the wall. One by one, they found themselves held aloft, spinning and drifting and shrieking while the star-shaped creature merely glowed purple, eyes closed, a look of utter serenity on its face.

"It's a Psychic-Steel combo, Winona. Plus it's a Benevolent. Looks can be deceiving."

"Oh, put a sock in it!"

Sabrina laughed. "You can put us down now."

They dropped to the floor in a crumpled heap. Anna heaved herself from the top of the pile, straightening her spine in time for Jirachi to once again settle into her arms.

"Psychic-Steel combo, huh?"

'_Part stardust, part meteorite.'_

"And full of wishes," Anna giggled, nuzzling her face against the creature's horn. It laughed, a cheerful sound like the tinkling of a windchime in a summer's breeze.

The elevator resumed its journey, stopping a short while later to let the door slide open. Standing in the opening was a rather flustered man with hair as white as the labcoat he wore, bags under his eyes and tanned skin to offset his red button-up and khakis. He blinked in surprise.

"Well, well! What have we here?"

"Um, I'm Anna, and this is Jirachi."

'_Nice to meet you!'_

The man jerked in surprise. "Heavens, this is quite the magnificent occurrence. Sabrina, is this by chance…?"

"This is it. This is what I told you about."

"The newest trainer, the first in five years. Goodness."

"Maybe you should let the girl in and brief her a bit?" Winona chirped.

"Right, sorry! Where are my manners? My name is Samuel Oak, and I am one of the Pokémon Professors. I specialize in the Pokémon that were originally found in the Kanto region."

"Before it was ruined," Sabrina muttered darkly.

"It's alright, Sabrina. You aren't alone in your sacrifice. All we can do is move forward with heads high and hope in our hearts."

"Fat load of good that'll do. Let's just hope that everything will be alright, because, y'know, that'll do it. That'll just bring back the home we lost in the fight. Yeah. Right. _Hope._"

She shoved past Anna, marching into the room beyond only to disappear from sight beyond a partition that didn't quite reach the ceiling. Oak sighed.

"Sorry about her. She's usually nicer than this, but the thought of her home makes her edgy."

"It's understandable. I'd feel the same if Arendelle were destroyed."

"Arendelle? Off in Norway? However did you get here so fast?"

He cast a cursory glare over Anna's shoulder. A cough sounded.

"Let's just say a Tailwind never hurt anyone in the past."

"For goodness sake, Winona, we can't be exposing our Pokémon to the outside world unless there are more who are chosen. The more commoners who get involved in this chaos, the worse the world gets. I'd rather keep its current state of disarray the way it is; it's bad enough without letting it fall entirely to pieces."

"Sorry."

"Anyways, it's nice to meet you, miss Anna! Come in and we'll get started."

She stepped over the threshold, feeling Winona's presence behind her as the doors slid shut, sealing the elevator from the lab. Oak strode toward a large holographic projection of the earth, deviating slightly to the left to approach a cluttered desk area. Anna stared in fascination as the geodesic image rotated slowly on a nonexistent axis, the sounds of machines and other voices talking only registering as white noise in her mind.

"Ahem!"

She turned to the startling sound. Oak gave her a once-over."

"Right. I'm assuming that given your prior status as a commoner before last night that you have yet to make your pact with this Jirachi official."

"Huh?"

"Pokémon are usually weakened before being befriended by Trainers, but since this Jirachi has taken an interest in you the process is thereby accelerated, meaning all that is left to solidify the pact is to capture it."

"Capture?!"

"Pokémon," Oak continued, "are creatures of mystical origin and power. It is unclear exactly how many exist, or what they are all capable of, and certainly there is no boundary to the genetic permutations that may result from inbreeding and crossbreeding, just as with common cats and dogs. A method for containing this power has been developed by the collaborative scientific efforts of myself and the other Professors in this lab. This method comes in the form of this."

Oak held up a ball the size of a golf ball, though minus any of its traditional pockmarks. The ball was divided into two hemispheres, a shiny metallic red atop with an ultra-high-gloss off-white lower half. Between the two halves resided a black belt recessed slightly from the two halves, and opposite a nearly invisible hinge on the backside of the ball rested a small, chrome button on the front.

"Pokéballs, such as this one here, are the most efficient way to determine an active connection, or 'pact,' between Trainer and Pokémon. This pact ensures that the Pokémon will not be loyal to any other party save for the Trainer, that it cannot form a pact with another party, that it will belong exclusively to the party, and that it will be cared for with the utmost respect and love by the party."

"But…that sounds like a trap! Why would I want to trap Jirachi to me? This, this was a gift, not a wild rabbit or a fox! Jirachi should be free, as should the other Pokémon…right?"

Oak sighed. "Originally, Pokéballs were not used to ensure loyalty. Those with the heart to win over a wild Pokémon were the chosen Trainers. However, almost all chosen Trainers who were proven to be compatible with Pokémon through a series of tests did not succeed in befriending any wild Pokémon in any way, meaning that the majority of prospective Trainers had no method for developing deeper understanding with their future partners. The Pokéball is a way for jumpstarting the process, to forge an immediate bond with the Pokémon rather than having to struggle and fail at befriending any. The friendship process, then, could be accelerated: if only one Trainer is subject to actively engaging in conversation and battle with the Pokémon by their side, then the Pokémon would learn to trust the Trainer's decisions, and would conceivably be rewarded for its hard work in the form of food, safety, and, most importantly, love. The common belief is that Pokémon dislike being contained within easily-managed Pokéballs, but we have interacted with many Psychic-type Pokémon through translation and telepathic conversation and found them to be stronger, more intelligent, more relaxed, and extremely satisfied with being under the care of a Trainer. Life is as hard for wild Pokémon as it has become for Trainers, and it is more important than ever that we stick together, as partners on a grand adventure, to face the harsh world beyond."

Anna slumped, looking down at the calm, happy face held aloft in her arms. "Do you…want to only be _my _Pokémon? I mean, you're a Benevolent, which means something, and you're a Legendary, which is amazing…won't it get terribly lonely only having one Trainer?"

Jirachi, for the first time since Anna had met it, frowned. _'I fell from the sky after a thousand year sleep just to do that very thing. Do you not want me?'_

"Wha-no! No, I didn't mean that! I just…I don't want you to be chained to me for the rest of our lives just because of some silly ball. If you want to leave, you should have the freedom to do so."

'_I chose you. Nobody else. Won't you choose me too?'_

Anna looked up at Oak. "Are you sure this is okay? For me to capture a Legendary, I mean."

"It seems Jirachi has become quite attached to you already. It's not impossible, and you seem to have a mutual connection. And what's more, Jirachi's thousand-year sleep only occurs if it doesn't have a Trainer to guide and instruct it. With a Trainer, Jirachi will stay awake beyond its allotted week for as long as it and its Trainer mutually insist."

"Then…I guess that's all there is to it. Is there a procedure to follow?"

"Actually, there is. Pokémon cannot be caught without first engaging them in a battle."

Winona gasped. Anna had quite forgotten she was there. "You aren't honestly going to house a battle with a Jirachi right here in the lab, are you?!"

"What's the harm?"

"Oak, maybe being underground for so long has addled your brain, but _this is a Jirachi we're talking about! _Not a Shinx, not a Pidgey, not even a Pikachu. _A Jirachi! _There's no telling how strong this thing is!"

Oak laughed. "There are a couple things to do before we stage a battle with a wild Jirachi."

"Aside from _not _staging a battle, you mean?"

"There has to be a battle. A Pokémon cannot be caught if it is not fought and does not give in."

"Oh, quit playing to your bogus rules, Oak. If Jirachi agrees, that's all there is to it," Winona barked.

Anna looked down. The gleeful open-mouthed smile that met her gave all the answer she needed.

"So now what?"

Winona snatched the ball from Oak's hand and thrust it into Anna's.

"Roll your hand and fingers over the ball and it will grow."

Anna stretched her hand and felt the capsule swell in her palm, growing to the size of a ripe orange.

"Now, push the button on the face to arm it."

Anna spun the ball in her fingers, jabbing the button with her thumb. The nub began blinking red.

"Alright. Let Jirachi float and take a couple steps backward."

Anna backed away, her braids bouncing as she stepped. She frowned at the dirty neckline of her dress.

"Now, throw the ball at Jirachi."

"What?"

"You heard me. Throw that sucker like you're throwing a rock through a window."

Anna blinked. "Won't that hurt?"

"Just trust me."

Jirachi blinked, a tranquil smile on its face. Anna drew back her arm and let the ball fly with a heave.

It rocketed through the air, tumbling and twisting before opening wide and expelling a brilliant white light that enveloped the waiting Jirachi. The light shrank and retracted as the ball flipped through the spot the star had once floated in, cracking against the floor with a metallic crash before spinning around, button pointed toward Anna.

"Automatic homing beacon tracks the thumbprint that threw it."

The ball wiggled once and blinked three times.

"One."

Another wiggle, this time with two blinks.

"Two."

One more wiggle and one more blink.

"Three."

_Ping._

"Congratulations. You caught Jirachi."

Anna leapt into the air in joy at the prospect of catching her first Pokémon. Distantly, she heard Oak grumbling about ruined tradition and unconventional methods from his desk. She ran to the ball and scooped it up in her hand.

"To release Jirachi, just push the button and throw again. To recall Jirachi, just push the button; the ball now knows that a Jirachi is stored inside and saves the data to its internal microchip, which means it will recall Jirachi through the button when asked; the ball only needs to open for release and initial capture. To shrink the ball, squeeze it with your fingers and roll it back down again. Hopefully Sycamore and Juniper have ideas about what to do with your outfit; you need a belt, a pack, and a wardrobe overhaul."

Anna pushed the button and tossed the ball. It sprang open with a twang and released a glow of white energy that coalesced into the form of Jirachi once again. The ball promptly closed and lost some of its sparkle. Anna scooped it from the floor and shrank it, holding it tightly within her palm.

"Right, then. Now that you and Jirachi are officially partners in your great adventure, you can begin meeting new Trainers and new Pokémon together."

Jirachi twirled, letting out a happy cry. It then floated to Anna and sat on her head, sniffing the beige headscarf she wore.

"But first…_Sycamore! Juniper!_"

Immediately, a curly-haired gentleman with a blue-purple top and a wiry-haired lady with a white camisole strode to Winona's sides.

"Ah, yes, dear winged-one?"

"Treat Miss Anna here to a cleansing and a wardrobe update; she's the newest member in five years and deserves something special."

"Right away!" Juniper cheered. The gleam in her emerald eyes made Anna gulp in mild trepidation. Sycamore latched one extremely soft hand onto hers and dragged her away, long legs stalking like a graceful giraffe while Anna stumbled like a wily klutz. She was unceremoniously tossed into a tubular chamber with only a glass door on the front to keep her contained within; Jirachi leapt from her head and floated curiously outside.

Juniper pushed a button. The chamber immediately filled with a pungent mist that quickly turned to a white, intrusive foam. It bubbled and squeezed, crushing Anna in the center of the chamber. She found herself unable to breathe and began choking on the bubbles.

The chamber dinged and the foam dissipated as hot air flooded the tube from above. Anna could breathe again, but found the baking heat to be mildly uncomfortable. When the last of the bubbles had faded, the chamber returned to its normal climate and the door swung open, leaving her to flop unceremoniously to the floor. Juniper laughed.

"There. All clean and ready for action."

Sycamore immediately drew up a measuring tape while Anna got slowly to her feet. The tape whipped around the crown of her head, around her neck, around each shoulder and bicep, down each arm, around her chest, bust, band, waist, hips, thighs, calves, ankles, feet, and up each inseam and outseam. He stepped back, chin cradled in a contemplative fist.

"Pick two of your favorite colors."

"Um, well, I've always been fond of green and light blue."

"Any green?"

"I'm not very picky about my clothes…"

"Fair enough. Juniper, any ideas?"

They began speaking in hushed whispers. Anna looked to Jirachi and shrugged, receiving a mirrored gesture in response. A tinkling laugh, a grumble, then a murmur of agreement.

"Yes, yes. Right. Okay."

Sycamore and Juniper each reached for a Pokéball stored on their respective belts. From Sycamore's hand came a large butterfly with dark green wings, the tips black and the accents light green and spotted red. From Juniper's hand came a large leaf-clad mantis with a yellow head and bulbous red eyes. Both turned inquisitively toward their Professors.

"Vivillion and Leavanny here will help with the design process. They can weave clothing from the silk they produce."

The mantis turned toward the butterfly. "Leaf, leaf," it chirped.

"Vivi!" the butterfly responded.

They nodded, then turned back to the professors. The four huddled together around a small whiteboard, the professors sketching with markers while the Pokémon watched. Again, Jirachi and Anna shared respective shrugs, neither having any idea what would happen next.

Juniper snapped her fingers and both Pokémon saluted, Leavanny with a large leaf-shaped arm, Vivillion with a small round hand. The two then rounded on Anna, chattering intensely with each other as they eyed her up and down, slowly crossing the room. The redhead felt her eyes widen in fear.

Without warning, Leavanny leapt at her and tackled her to the floor. She felt the breath leave her lungs; for such a small creature, it certainly felt heavy. Warm, gooey silk began dripping from the creature's mouth. Anna shrieked.

What followed was nothing short of violent and uncalled for, full of flying cloth, spun silk, hissing, screeching, chirping, a rogue arm, a stray wing, and finally a girl brought back to her feet in a totally different outfit.

Juniper and Sycamore had failed to explain that the Pokémon could control the silk's color as they produced it, let alone that they could weave the material as quickly as they could produce it. Anna felt nothing short of impressed and a tad violated upon looking at herself in the mirror.

Perched atop her head was an emerald green fedora, speckled with interwoven sparkles in the shape of dew droplets and adorned by a dark navy ribbon tied into a large red-fading-to-purple-fading-to-blue bow slightly off the front of the hat. She wore a simple mint-colored bodice sheathed by a light blue vest that had four large buttons. Around her waist sat a luxury-class belt, a shimmering braided sea of greens and blues with the occasional red strand tossed in for accent. Six spherical holsters were twined into the right side just off the tips of her fingers; a pair of slots had been added to the left for unknown items. Her skirt (for they had let her wear one) hung to just shy of her knees, sky blue in color and flared at the hem. Her olive-skinned legs, covered in freckles for all their worth, melted downward into short, dark green boots with thick black laces and hefty dark brown grips. She blushed at herself in the mirror.

"I-is that…me?"

Vivillion fluttered back toward her, spitting more green silk from its mouth. Leavanny tugged the elastic from her hair and let the braids hang free, the tiny hooks on its arms combing her hair straight. While Vivillion set to work weaving the silk into more dark green cloth, Leavanny set about working a complicated five-strand braid into the left side of Anna's hair. Without any acknowledgement, the mantis reached toward the butterfly and grasped the long green ribbon that was thrust forth, tying it at the end of the hefty braid before orbiting Anna to replicate the twine on the opposite side. Another green ribbon was produced, and both halves of Anna's hair were bound into heavy, fluffy braids that melted like butter in her touch. She whimpered.

"This is too much. My hair is so soft, I feel so clean, these clothes…I-I can't accept any of this! This is way too much."

Sycamore laughed. "Nonsense. Now, let us get you in to speak with Birch, Elm, and Rowan about preparing for your journey. There are a few things to arm you with."

Winona grinned as Anna stepped away from the cubicles, waving jovially to the Leavanny and Vivillion as they returned to their respective capsules. "How does it feel to be clean and dressed?"

"Like I'm in a totally different world."

"You aren't yet, but you will be soon. Here, let's introduce you to the others."

Three other labcoat-clad individuals laughed riotously in an empty corner, Sabrina standing among them with a triumphant look on her face. Anna deduced that the woman had told a joke of sorts.

"Professors Elm, Rowan, and Birch. Meet Anna, the newest Trainer."

Elm was a tall, skinny man with light brown hair and a pair of thick glasses perched on his nose. Birch looked to be young, not nearly as young as Sycamore or Juniper, but younger than the two he stood with; his girth offset him from Elm's height and gave him a fittingly rosy complexion. Rowan had wildly styled hair and a tufted mustache to match, dressed in a professional suit beneath the white labcoat. All three nodded and said various hellos to Anna, who curtsied in return.

"These three will help you with the rest."

"From me," spoke Elm, "you'll get your own Dexter, otherwise known as the Pokédex. This handy little device records information about the Pokémon you've caught and remembers which ones you've seen or interacted with. Filling the Dex by seeing every single Pokémon is a daunting task, but I'd wager you might be up to the challenge. Only a few have completed the Dex as it is…"

He nodded once, handing Anna what looked to be a red and black cartridge. She pressed her thumb to the glass panel in the center and the ends sprang apart, revealing a translucent screen which displayed information about Jirachi in bright, legible text.

_Jirachi, the Wish Pokémon. Height, 1.0 feet. Weight, 2.4 pounds. Generations have believed that any wish written on a note on its head will come true when it awakens. It is said to have the ability to grant any wish for just one week every thousand years._

The screen displayed other options, such as its natural habitat and its cry. Anna blinked at the device in wonder before snapping the ends shut once more, slotting the card into a square clip on the left side of her belt.

"Next up is me, Birch! This is your communicator, otherwise known as the PokéCom. You can store an infinite amount of data in this little bad boy and communicate face-to-face with anyone who has your identifier. The number for this one can be found in the Personal Settings window, and all of the Professors have already been programmed into it."

"So have I, and so has Winona," Sabrina supplied with a tired drawl.

The watch found its way easily around her wrist, readily displaying the time in bold font.

"Time works the same on the Pokémon planet as it does here on earth, so the numbers will remain accurate and synchronized while you're on your journey."

Birch stepped back looking pleased with himself. Rowan stepped forward, an intimidating scowl on his broad face. Anna resisted the urge to cower.

"And finally, I am Rowan. Oak originally created the Dex; Elm tweaked it and added extensive coding for future additions. Elm originally created the communicator; Birch updated the software and added new features to make it more user-friendly. And now, for something Birch conceived and that every scientist in this room had a hand in making: the PokéGlass."

Rowan reached out his hand and slipped something around Anna's hat, then stepped back for her to see. Hanging over the bill of the fedora was a black clip that attached to a piece of transparent glass that covered her right eye with the effectiveness of a monocle.

"This device is probably the most high-tech gadget you'll ever encounter, and you're one of only three people to ever own one. It can accurately display everything you've ever wanted to know about every Pokémon you encounter, though while it cannot tell you an opponent's moveset or relative experience base, it can tell you their potential, or 'level,' and their estimated remaining stamina."

Anna directed the device toward the only Pokémon she owned.

_Jirachi. Level: 5. HP: 26/26. Moves: Wish, 10/10. Confusion, 25/25. Rest, 10/10. Draco Meteor, 5/5._

"Woah."

"Notice the moveset that appears below the Pokémon. Because you've captured this Jirachi, you have access to its moveset. Each move can only be used a certain number of times before your Pokémon loses the energy required to use the move."

"Why do some have more uses than others?"

"Some moves boost the user's stats. Some lower the opponent's stats. Some attack physically, some attack from a distance. Some are weaker, some are stronger. Typically, the fewer uses a move has, the stronger its base power or more beneficial the move is to the user."

"So, this…'Draco Meteor,' then, would be really strong?"

All four of the group members gasped. "Jirachi knows _Draco Meteor?!_" Sabrina cried.

"According to this PokéGlass, yes."

"And now do you see why I wanted to insist on a live battle?" Oak's voice grumbled as he approached. "Draco Meteor has a base power of one hundred forty and is a Dragon-type move. It is the strongest Dragon-type move in existence. Sometimes referred to as 'Meteor Shower,' this move is so powerful it actually weakens its user's ability to attack from a distance with successive uses."

Anna gulped. "Part stardust, part meteorite after all, huh?"

'_Of course!'_

"Well, enough of this. We need to send Anna and Jirachi into a battle so they can get the swing of things. Plus, a little bit of training never hurt anyone."

"Shouldn't we let her decide how to train this Jirachi? What about the Effort Values gained in battle?"

Oak huffed. Anna blinked.

"Effort Values," Sabrina jumped in, striding quietly over to Jirachi to absently stroke its horn, "are sort of like points on a test. These nerds," she gestured at the scientists, "figured out an algorithm to calculate the points given by each Pokémon post-battle, and that every four points earned for one stat will add one additional number to its base total, on top of whatever it earns after it levels; stats are only gained during levelling. Some Trainers prefer to raise their Pokémon however they wish, meaning that what they battle and where the points fall is entirely up to chance. Some Trainers prefer to rely on the algorithm developed by these guys and maximize their Pokémon's potential in specific areas, such as Special Attack or Speed. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages; taking a more well-rounded approach means that a Pokémon will have a better time at combatting whatever is likely to be thrown at it, while taking the algorithmic approach means that it may be weak overall but extremely strong at its area of focus, which can be devastating to the opponent's team. It's ultimately your call how you choose to raise your Pokémon, and I can vouch for the success of the algorithm, but there's nothing like being proud of your Pokémon's achievements without any special training or focus. I know most of these scientists would say that the best way to train a Pokémon is to maximize its potential in its strongest stats, but they also say that a Pokémon should be raised with love, which to me sounds like they should be raised to be the best they can regardless." She paused, letting Anna absorb the information. "But again, it's your call."

Anna stared carefully at Jirachi, who once again had the tacit smile on its face. She frowned.

"What do you think?"

'_You're my Trainer. Whatever you think is best is what we'll do.'_

She looked to Sabrina. "Is it possible to do both? To start by rounding a Pokémon at first so that it has a fighting chance, then specialize it once it's pretty strong?"

The woman blinked. "Ye-es, although most don't train to that standard…"

"I'll do that. Let's start with the basics and forget about stats. We can focus on that later." She then looked at Jirachi with a small smile on her face. "Together."

'_Alright!'_

"Professor Oak, I would like to battle."

The scientist grinned, cracking his fingers in anticipation.

"I have the perfect opponent for you."

* * *

_**Again, I may choose to make this an Elsanna fic, but I'm unsure. Anna is slated to be the main Disney character. Blending Disney and Poke'mon isn't easy, but you'll see characters from both. At the moment, I'm using mostly Poke'mon characters (with lots of familiar faces) to set the scene; Disney characters won't happen for a chapter or two (at least until Anna gets to the Poke'mon planet). Elsa won't appear for a while, so to those missing the platinum blonde keep your fingers crossed. I have yet to decide anything for this fic, though I already have the League planned out (save for what teams they'll be using). I love you all, my gentle snowflakes, and I'll see you soon. ~Kyttin  
**_


	4. Battle

**_A/N: Shorter chapter this time, but there's a battle to be had._**

* * *

_The Grand Adventure, Chapter 4_

Battle

"Anna, I'd like you to meet Chreren, former Gym Leader of Aspertia City in the Unova region."

The man had dark blue eyes and black hair that hung in shaggy tufts down to his shoulders. He wore a pressed white button-up shirt and blue slacks, his red tie lending an air of professionalism to his demeanor. He nodded once at Anna, who waved with a bright grin.

"Nice to meet you, Mister Cheren!"

"Likewise, Anna. Oak, what have you called me for?"

"You are to be Anna's first opponent in a live battle."

"Rules?"

"She's a new Trainer with one Pokémon at level five. Let's make this a standard match to bring her up to speed."

He nodded before striding across the arena to take his stand within a white box outlined on the pavement. Anna stepped backwards into her own box.

"Right. Then, as your first official opponent as a Pokémon Trainer, let the battle commence!"

Cheren tossed a Pokéball into the center of his half of the arena. A bright flare of light spewed forth and gave spawn to a strange little creature. Anna could only describe it as looking like an odd fusion between a meerkat, a beaver, and a squirrel, with fat cheeks, red eyes, buck teeth, and a portly body supported by two stout legs. It had a long, thin tail with a tuft of white fur that thrashed about as its attention shifted; it seemed as though the creature was unable to focus on anything for longer than a moment at a time.

"Patrat, you're up first!"

"Patapata!" it cried. Anna blinked.

"Uh, Jirachi!"

She tossed her own ball. The star burst from within. Cheren adjusted his tie, a furrow set into his brow.

"Jirachi, Psychic/Steel combination. Not good for Normal-types…"

"Why is that?" Anna asked.

"Normal-types aren't very effective against Steel-types, though they only take super-effective damage from Fighting-type moves."

"Oh."

"Since this is your first battle, we'll start this one slow. Patrat, follow my command but be prepared to faint. Let's give her an idea of what to do, alright?"

The rodent nodded, settling its twitchy focus on Jirachi.

"In order for a Pokémon to do anything, it must be instructed to do so. For instance, Patrat! Leer!"

Patrat made a face that made Anna cringe. Jirachi seemed to be affected by the action as well.

"Leer is a status move. It lowers the opponent's defense, making physical attacks more worthwhile in dealing damage."

"So Jirachi is weaker now?"

"It has less defense. The stat changes that happen in battle, positive or negative, will all reset to normal when the Pokémon is fainted or the battle is finished and they have a chance to recuperate from the exertion."

"So it's not permanent."

"Correct. Also, this battle will be turn-based because Oak wants you to get a feel for how battles play out. Normally, battles are based on the agility of the Trainer and the responsiveness of the Pokémon. The better the connection between the two, the faster their attacks will land, and the more advantageous their battle becomes."

"Jirachi being a Psychic-type means that it could technically read my mind and follow my wishes, right?"

"It is unconventional to attempt to communicate via telepathy, as any stray thought will also be conveyed and may delay the command being processed."

"Right. Um, then, Jirachi! Try, um…Confusion?"

'_Is that a question or a request?'_

Anna felt her cheeks heat up. "Right, sorry! Jirachi, Confusion!"

The star glowed purple. Anna felt the hair on her arms stand up as unseen energy filled the arena. Across the field, Patrat gripped its head, twitching in distaste. The energy dissipated and it shook itself, returning to its former scrutiny of the star.

"Confusion is a move that may induce its secondary effect of confusing the opponent," Cheren explained. "When a Pokémon suffers from being confused, its accuracy is reduced and it runs the risk of suffering further damage by injuring itself."

"How would it injure itself?"

"Usually, the Pokémon trips over its own feet. In the case of those with wings or levitation, they typically misjudge where the ground is in relation to their bodies. Some, usually Psychic-types, will receive headaches strong enough to put a human into a coma."

"Ouch."

"Pokémon are mysterious creatures with unbelievable power. Now, Patrat, Leer!"

Once again the hideous face flared from across the battlefield. Anna grumbled.

"Jirachi, Confusion again!"

The energy blasted outward in a wave. Patrat clutched at its head, whimpering as it fell to its knees. As the energy dissipated, its face struck the concrete below. Cheren recalled it to its ball.

"When a Pokémon's stamina has been exhausted, or when a Pokémon simply lacks the will to fight any further, it will often faint and be incapable of further battle until revival, either by a Healing Machine or by a Revive-type item. Another bonus factor about making the opponent faint is that it offers your own Pokémon experience points which help it to grow in potential, or 'level,' as is sometimes suggested. You're wearing one of the experimental PokéGlass units which helps determine your Pokémon's level and relative experience, but it's by no means an exact science."

'_I feel stronger, though.'_

Indeed, the number had changed from a five to a six. Anna grinned.

"A level already? Awesome!"

"Leveling is easiest prior to the halfway mark of fifty. After fifty, levels are slow to come and mark significant milestones in a Pokémon's growth. Another added perk to leveling is the ability to have access to new moves. Jirachi's next move comes at level ten, a Normal-type move known as Swift."

"Level ten, huh? Alright, let's work our way up to ten!"

'_Right!'_

"I'm ready!"

Cheren tossed out his next Pokémon. This one looked a little more familiar to her: a terrier with large, soft eyes and a dark swath of fur on its back. She squealed.

"It's so adorable!"

"Rrrrup! Pup, pup!"

"Lillipup, use Odor Sleuth!"

The dog sniffed the air and its eyes locked onto Jirachi. Anna blinked.

"What did that do?"

"Some moves, such as Odor Sleuth, Foresight, and Lock On hone a Pokémon's accuracy so that moves are more likely to land, especially those that aren't so accurate."

"Oh. Alright. Um, Jirachi, use…Wish!"

Jirachi twirled, streamers rippling through the air as it flashed white once.

"Oh, great. One of those moves that doesn't seem to do anything."

"Wish is a healing move. It will give the user some health back after a little while."

"How long?"

"In a turn-based battle, two turns. In more open-field battles, it's usually after a time of sixty seconds. And believe me: in a heated battle, sixty seconds is enough to leave most people begging for the Wish to come true."

"Right."

"Lillipup, Tackle!"

The dog vaulted forward at full-tilt. It jumped and crashed headlong into Jirachi, smashing the star into the concrete with its four stubby paws. With a growl and a bark, it jumped off and away, leaving Jirachi to cough and float into the air once more.

"Normal-type attacks aren't usually very strong against Steel-type Pokémon, but if your defenses are lowered enough, any attack can be deadly."

Indeed, Jirachi's health was down by a third. Anna's face hardened.

"Jirachi, Confusion!"

The concussive wave of energy swamped the tiny dog. It howled in pain even as the attack faded away, stumbling from foot to foot as it attempted to remain standing.

"Ach, confused! Lillipup, fight it off with another Tackle!"

The dog wobbled on unsteady legs. It took off running toward Jirachi and leapt into the air, only to smash square into the ground, face-first. The dog whimpered.

"One more!"

Jirachi let fly another burst of energy, and with a final paw flicked skyward, the dog fainted. Cheren recalled it, grumbling to himself. Anna pumped her arm, hand curled tight into a fist.

"Alright, two down, one to go!"

Suddenly, a veil of glittering golden light surrounded Jirachi. Anna watched in fascination as the health bar refilled to its limit. The light faded and Jirachi twirled.

"Apparently, Jirachi's Wish came true," Cheren remarked. "Let's see how you handle this one. Go, Pidove!"

A blue-grey bird, adorned with a large, red snood over its beak and several large black spots on its feathers, twitched its head to stare at Jirachi with one large, unsettling eye. Anna referred to the PokéGlass to check Jirachi's health, which had stayed at its maximum. She also noted with contained happiness that Jirachi's progress toward its seventh level was nearing completion. She grinned.

"Alright, Jirachi! Confusion!"

"Pidove! Gust!"

The bird flapped its wings and kicked a large whirlwind toward Jirachi. The cyclones tossed the star into the air before slamming it against the ground. Anna gasped as its health dropped to a third of its maximum. The Confusion attack carried out, lowering the Pidove to a similarly-low level. Anna gulped. _Stalemate._

"Pidove, here! A Super Potion!"

Cheren sprayed an orange-colored mist into the air. Pidove's health gradually restored to full once more. Anna whimpered, only to see that Jirachi had turned to grace her with a small smile.

'_You know what to do.'_

Anna blinked. "You can't be serious."

'_You'll find that sometimes, extreme measures have to be taken to win.'_

"But I don't want to win at your expense!"

'_If you are indeed a very special Trainer, then you will likely come into contact with the Elite League. If that happens, you can't afford to lose any fight against them. I've made my choice, and I chose you. Will you choose me, too?'_

Anna stared at Jirachi long and hard, brain churning and boiling. At long last, she nodded once.

"You chose me. I choose you. I believe in you. Jirachi, Draco Meteor!"

Cheren's eyes widened.

Four sets of eyes gazed toward the ceiling, which had taken on the appearance of a dark, starry night. Suddenly, dozens of massive, glittering comets came into view. Jirachi glowed white and rose toward the ceiling, swirling and dancing with the comets in a complicated step formation. They twinkled and sparkled, glowing brighter and brighter as they danced.

And with a treacherous dive from Jirachi, the massive blurs of light crashed against the floor around Pidove in what had to be the most beautiful meteor storm anyone in the room had ever been granted the privilege to witness. Pidove crumpled without contest, leaving Jirachi to glide back to Anna, panting and minus some of its sparkle. Anna hugged the star as its level increased, laughing with joy.

"You did it! You won!"

'_WE won. I couldn't do it without a Trainer to believe in me.'_

Anna nuzzled her cheek against Jirachi's, sighing with content. She watched with half-closed eyes as Cheren recalled Pidove and made his way toward them.

"Congratulations. You now know what it's like to battle a Trainer. You also know how dangerous it can be to get involved with battles; attacks like Draco Meteor are extremely strong and extremely unpredictable. Take care to mind that while in battle. Also, I believe this might help you along the way, if you're interested."

Anna gazed curiously at the Pokéball Cheren offered. He pushed the button and let the ball drop to the floor.

From within, white light coalesced into a small brown rabbit, its waist and ears covered in cream-colored fluff. It tilted its head to look up at her.

"Bunbun!" It waved at her.

"This is a Buneary. They require a great deal of friendship to evolve, but when they do, Lopunny is a fearsome Normal-type to try and bring down. They move quick, they can take a beating, and their attacks are quite powerful. If you want, she's yours."

"What's her name?"

"Cottontail."

The Buneary turned and waggled its butt, tossing the plume of cotton back and forth. Anna melted.

"Why are Pokémon so adorable?"

"The smaller ones usually are. As they get bigger, they get to be more…impressive."

"Scary?"

"I didn't say it," though the wry half-smile on his face told the whole story. Anna gulped.

"Well, I'm not even a novice Trainer, but how can I say no to this cute little bunny rabbit?"

"Bun! Bun bun!"

Cottontail hopped back and forth on her feet, waving and dancing. Anna giggled. Cheren handed her the Pokéball and she clipped it to her belt; immediately, her PokéGlass reacted and gave her an impromptu readout.

"Level five, Jolly nature, knows Drain Punch, Sky Uppercut, Bounce, and Dizzy Punch. Why such strong attacks at a low level?"

"Cottontail was bred to be a fighter. She's a little spitfire and a bit of an experiment of mine. You can change her moves if you want."

"No, no, I love it. This…this will be interesting."

Cheren smiled, the first one Anna had seen of him. "I'm glad. Take care of her for me."

He then walked away. Oak strode onto the field, a manic grin on his face.

"Fan_tas_tic! That was a wonderful fight!"

Anna recalled Cottontail, sitting Jirachi atop the crown of her head. "Don't congratulate me; this little guy did all the work."

"It takes the unity of a Trainer and a Pokémon to pull off a victory. Don't ever underestimate your importance in a battle. If you two continue to work together like that, there's no telling how far you'll go."

A hand landed on her shoulder. She jumped. Sabrina laughed.

"Relax. The only scary thing out there is the Ghost-type Pokémon, and I haven't seen one of those in a while. Hey, when you're stronger, maybe we should battle, huh? I'll have to be sure you're ready for later."

"Oh, uh, well, I bet you're really strong and stuff…Wait, what do you mean, 'ready for later?'"

"You could very well end up joining the resistance against the Elite League. In order to do that, you have to defeat at least three of the existing members. I'm one of them. But…if your Pokémon aren't at least at level fifty, you won't make it through three battles against us."

Oak furrowed his brow, scowling at Sabrina. "No need to scare her so soon! She has an adventure awaiting her out in the Pokémon world! It's high time we strap her into a transporter and get her out there to learn what it means to be a Trainer."

Sabrina scoffed. "Killjoy." She turned to Anna. "He's right, though. Let's get you strapped and settled."

Anna followed the two out of the arena, surrounded by a throng of cheering scientists and Trainers. She couldn't help but blush and cast the crowd a shy wave as she passed. Several of the guys threw themselves at her, landing in unsightly heaps at her feet. She stumbled over them, determined to follow Oak and Sabrina as they cut a wake toward an unexplored door on the far side of the atrium. The panel slid up, revealing yet another hallway, and the crowd was silenced with the door's close. Anna let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

"Are they always so…spirited?"

"They don't usually get to see a girl battle, much less one who can freely command the use of the most powerful Dragon-type attack. Plus, you're new, so the spotlight's gonna be on you for a while."

Oak opened a door to their right. Beyond was a circular room with four beds that looked like a hybrid between cryogenic capsules and aircraft cockpits. Anna gulped as Oak strode to the control board at the center of the room, flicking switches and pressing buttons of various color and function.

The sound of air depressurizing violated the tranquil hum of the room. Two of the glass canopies atop the capsules slid forward and down, revealing titanium cages meant to surround the torso and hips. Steel ankle and wrist clamps glinted in the fluorescent light from above. Anna felt a shiver run down her spine.

Sabrina opened one of the titanium cages. "Here, come lie down. You'll have to recall Jirachi in order to travel."

Anna depressed the button on the Pokéball and felt the weight leave her head. She stepped cautiously toward the machine, crawling into it with the delicacy of a newborn. Sabrina strapped her limbs down and lowered the cage to encase her body.

"Relax. This is a dissipation rig. It'll make sure the transfer goes smoothly."

"I'm communicating with the boys over at Insei. They say they have all four modules open, so go ahead and get ready, Sabrina."

"If you get nervous, just remember that I'm doing it too."

The dark-haired woman pulled an oxygen mask over Anna's face and cinched it in place. She moved away, leaving Anna with only the ability to see the ceiling over her head. She could hear the same pattern of noises echoing from somewhere to her left as Sabrina presumably strapped herself into the gurney.

Oak stepped into her field of view, fingers ticking incessantly at a keyboard beside her chamber. A pair of servos whined as they lifted the canopy back over the pod, sealing the glass against a rubber suction plate. A feeling of weightlessness overtook Anna as the chamber pressurized and the mask filled with the scent of strawberries. She took a large gulp of air and sighed in bliss.

"You'll be asleep for about an hour while the transfer goes through. It's much harder transferring a person than a Pokémon. Rest easy, Anna; you'll awake when you get to Insei."

And Anna let her eyes drift shut, lulled by the sweet smell of fruit and the warm buzzing in her toes.

* * *

_**I've been urged away from making this an Elsanna, and I will comply. If you look for it, you will likely find it, but that's true of just about any fandom and its endless interpretations of any given work. I needed to move the story forward, but unfortunately there isn't much I had to say. Sorry if it's too short for some of you; forming coherent thought was a struggle for me. I love you all, my gentle snowflakes, and I'll be back soon. ~Kyttin **_


End file.
